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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pop — music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — to visit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pit — in a race
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mug — a face
  13. degree — from a university
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mug — a cup
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. key — in music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com